The legendary Chuck Berry is part of the lineup of performers celebrating the reopening of Washington's historic Howard Theatre. The Howard began a $29 million renovation in 2010 and reopened this month. The 100-year-old theater opened in 1910 and was a showcase for black artists, including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Marvin Gaye. The renovated theater includes supper club-style seating for 650 that can be converted to standing room for more than 1,000.

The Howard Theatre is at 620 T St. N.W., Washington. Chuck Berry performs at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 28. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $95 in advance and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com. thehowardtheatre.com.

USA Science & Engineering Festival

Make science less weird with a visit to the USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington. This year's festival includes Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, hosts of Discovery Channel's "MythBusters," and PBS' Bill Nye the Science Guy. The festival will include demonstrations, exhibits, contests, stage shows, a book fair and career pavilion. The aim of the festival is to provide encouragement to the next generation of scientists and engineers and to promote the importance of science and math education.

The USA Science & Engineering Festival is April 28-29 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place N.W., Washington. The festival is open to all ages, and admission is free. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 28, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 29. usasciencefestival.org.

Northern Virginia

Mount Vernon

If you have ever wondered what George Washington ate for dinner, take a trip down to Mount Vernon Estate for the new "Dinner for the Washingtons" walking tour. The one-hour tour takes visitors behind the scenes to learn about the preparation of food, including and samples from 18th-century recipes. Visitors who want to take a sip of history along with dinner can visit Washington's Distillery & Gristmill, about three miles from Mount Vernon, where distillers in period garb guide visitors through the process of whiskey-making in 18th-century America.

"Dinner for the Washingtons" is every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 28, beginning at 11 a.m.. One-day admission to Mount Vernon is $15 for ages 12-61; $7 for children ages 6-11; and $14 for seniors over the age of 62. Children 5 and younger are free. The dinner tour is an additional $5. mountvernon.org.

Cape May, N.J.

Spring Festival

The seaside resort's 17th annual Spring Festival offers food and wine, exhibits, arts and crafts, dancing and more over the course of 10 days. Visitors can indulge in a Chocolate & Beer tasting, take a tour of Cape May's private residences and join in on a Murder Mystery luncheon or dinner. Vintage Dance Weekend, April 28-29, will bring 19th-century traditional dances to the resort, including a Vintage Ball and Tea Dance, where guests can learn the steps from professionals and wear Victorian costumes. Visitors can also browse the Crafts & Antiques Show on May 5 at the Emlen Physick Estate.

Enjoy our the area's national parks and explore the outdoors during National Park Week, when admission is free to nearly 400 U.S. parks, including those in Maryland and Virginia. For a truly immersive experience, sleep under the stars and watch the sun rise on some of the most beautiful surroundings in the United States.

From the beaches of Ocean City in the east to the Appalachian Mountains in the west, from the rolling hills of My Lady's Manor (home to Maryland's steeplechase races) in the north to the tidewater marshlands of the Chesapeake Bay to the south -- Maryland has a little bit of everything.

A Civil War-period coat worn by a nurse — a woman from a prominent Mathews County family who some believe was the only woman to be commissioned as a captain in the Confederate Army — is among the nominees for Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts program.

NAVAL STATION NORFOLK — The Navy on Saturday commissioned the USS John Warner, adding a 12th Virginia-class submarine to the fleet and celebrating the legacy of its namesake, the retired senator who was hailed as a statesman.